Goodness, it's been a while…

Too long…

It's well over a year…

And I'm sorry.

 I know the days and weeks and years keep flying by, so you might not have noticed that I haven't had a book out for a while… in fact, since last May. And that's unusual for me, it's usually three or so books a year. But the reason for this is also the reason why I haven't sent out any newsletters either. You see, last year my husband died, and everything just stopped.

It's not the kind of thing I feel comfortable in sharing, this is a meant to be a chatty newsletter after all, one you read with a cup of tea, but I wanted to explain, partly because we're friends, but also because it's the thing that happened before I got to the point where I am now, and one doesn't make sense without the other. At the time, I was right in the middle of edits for my latest book and although my publisher was amazing and gave me all the time I needed to finish them, writing was suddenly the last thing I wanted to do. But I did it, on autopilot, because I just wanted the book off my desk. Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? I almost don't want to admit it. And, as the weeks went by and I had to start thinking how my new future might look, I realised that I was burnt out. That the spark I tended inside of me which grew into each and every book, needed to go into hibernation. I’d been writing through some difficult circumstances over the last few years and the keeping going was what was keeping me going. As soon as I stopped, I started thinking.

A friend of mine always describes the period between one book and the next as the time when I fill myself back up again. When I replenish all the creative pots, ready to begin again. But somewhere along the line, those pots hadn’t been refilling, instead I’d been scraping them out and I knew that was no way to go on. So I took the advice I always give to others, and I looked after myself. I was gentle and nurturing, and slowly and surely, my family and I began to find our song again. It's quieter than it used to be, a slightly different refrain, but we'll get there. And I was lucky. My publisher took the books I was due to write out of the publishing schedule and allowed me the time I needed, and I'm so very grateful for that.

I’m changed by what’s happened. How could I not be? And to ignore this change would be disastrous. But I also knew that it could bring into being something new, something different, and something vital, and I was determined to give it a chance to grow. I knew my spark would rekindle, I just didn’t know when, and so I let it decide, knowing I would be ready when it did. I started writing again in the new year, which is filling me with just the same joy it always did, and I started to make plans too…

my writing, but also things which are important to me. So I've joined Substack, and am really excited to have a new space to build a little community, one where people can interact, share thoughts and not be manipulated by algorithms the way we are on Social Media. And you know me, I love a community!

In case you've never come across Substack before, it's a site where people create their own pages, a bit like a mini magazine, sharing whatever they wish. You can search for these pages by subject or by name, so for example if gardening is your passion, there's a host of substacks to read; you just find the ones you like the look of and subscribe. Although some contributors do charge for their subscriptions, many are either completely free, or have free content. And I'm happy to say that mine is free and always will be.

So how does this affect things for you? The answer is it doesn't, unless you want it to. I still intend to send out newsletters like this, but these will also go up on Substack too, along with everything else I want to share, so you'll hear a lot more from me if you subscribe to my substack (and I hope your do!).

I've called mine At the Still Point, and because I'd really like to see you there, I'm not going to explain too much about it just yet, so come on over, have a read of my first post and see what it's all about. Just click on the button below and you'll be transported… If you don't want to subscribe straight away, just click 'no thanks' and you can read the post anyway. You can then subscribe straight from the post if you want to.

Just in case you missed it…

One thing I get asked a lot is if I have any advice for would-be writers and although I love to help, I don't always have time to give a full answer. So, a while ago I decided that I would devote an area of my website for just such questions. After all, I was a would-be writer once upon a time and I have always been incredibly grateful for all the help that other generous writers gave me. If you think there's a book inside you desperately trying to get out, or maybe you know someone else who has, why not take a look? There's general advice, a little inspiration, and also a series of templates I've created to help the creative process. These are all free and can be accessed from the site directly on the writer's corner tab, or imported into apps such as Goodnotes or Notalibility if you use these. Click on the photo below to go to my site. I hope you find them useful.

And finally,  

A few little notices…

😊 I'm hugely grateful to everyone who buys my books, or who supports me in other ways by leaving a book review or taking the time to contact me. This has been especially important over this last year and has made a world of difference to me, really, I can't thank you enough.

😊 If you're new to my writing you might like to know that The Little Cottage on the Hill, the first in a four part seasonal series is currently free to download on Amazon. So if you haven't read these, now's your chance! A year at Appleyard Farm is also currently just 99p, but only until the end of the month. Just click on the photos if you fancy grabbing a copy.

😊 If you're like me you'll have a whole bunch of favourite authors, ones where you wait with bated breath until their next new release. It can be hard keeping track of what's out when, but did you know about the 'follow' button on Amazon? Following an author means that once a new book gets added to the site, Amazon will send you a quick email to let you know. They'll often send out news about special promotions too. Simply go into the detail page of any book belonging to an author you want to follow, and hit the button just below the author's photo – it's under the cover on the left hand side of the page – and that's all there is to it. Here's mine so you can be sure you're always up to date.

😊 One of the things I love about the various book groups I belong to, is the sharing of everyone's favourite reads. It's not so great for the bank balance unfortunately, but I've read some incredible books over the last few months as a result. High up on my list would have to be All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, who is fast becoming a favourite. I absolutely loved Cloud Cuckoo Land last year too. A special mention would also have to go to The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. You can find the details of these, plus everything else I've been reading here. Take a look, you might find your next favourite too!

Thank so much for bearing with me this far, and for your kindnesses and support since my last newsletter.

Until next time, my very best wishes,

Emma x

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